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Attendance Policy

SHS Attendance Policies 2026-2027

In an effort to promote regular student attendance and in alignment with Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) Attendance Policies, Seminole High School is implementing Credit Denial procedures. Students who accumulate 10 or more unexcused absences in any class during a semester will be denied credit for that course. Please review the information below, and refer to the full SHS Attendance Policy for more details regarding absences, tardies, expectations, and related procedures.

Click Here for Step by Step Instructions on How to Submit Absences via Skyward

SCPS Excuse Note Policy Up

PHILOSOPHY

Regular attendance is essential for students to meet course objectives and achieve academic success. Many valuable instructional activities—such as class discussions, labs, field trips, and guest presentations—cannot be recreated through makeup work alone. To support student success, Seminole County Public Schools has adopted a uniform High School Attendance Policy. Our goal is to ensure fair and consistent enforcement of this policy among students, families, teachers, and school staff.

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT

In accordance with Florida Statute 232.01, high school students under the age of 16 who are enrolled in SCPS are legally required to attend school regularly for the entire term. Furthermore, Florida Statute 230.22(2) and SCPS Policy File JEA state:

“A student is expected to attend all school sessions unless excused by a proper school authority.”

ATTENDANCE AND LOSS OF CREDIT

  • Loss of Credit: Students with 10 (ten) unexcused absences or more in any class during a semester will be denied credit for that course.

Loss of credit due to unexcused absences may impact a student’s ability to graduate on time. Students may have opportunities to reinstate credit—please see the school’s credit recovery options below  for more information.

TRACKING ATTENDANCE

It is the responsibility of the student and their parent/guardian to regularly monitor attendance records through Skyward. Parents may submit an excuse note for 10 absences per year. These notes must be submitted via Skyward to be considered valid. Any note which exceeds the 10 days of excuse notes will have to be accompanied by either medical or court documentation to be excused. All notes must be turned in within one week of the date of the absence. 

STUDENT IN GOOD STANDING

HOMECOMING / PROM / PARKING / SPECIAL EVENTS

Attendance, discipline, and financial obligations all impact a student’s eligibility to participate in school privileges such as Homecoming, Prom, on-campus parking, and other special events.
Students must be in good standing to participate in these activities. Students who:

  • Accumulate 10 unexcused absences, or
     
  • Are considered truant (5 unexcused absences in 30 days or 10 in 90 days, per Florida law)

    may lose eligibility for these privileges during that semester.

EXCUSED ABSENCE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Parents may submit excuse notes for up to 10 days of absences via Skyward  for qualifying absences. Additional absences must be accompanied by official documentation (e.g., doctor’s note, court notice, etc.) after submission via skyward.  All notes must be turned in within 1 week of the absence date per SCPS policy. Per Board Policy notes must be turned in with in 1 week (5 Business Days) upon the return to school or they will not be accepted. 

Click Here for Step by Step Instructions on How to Submit Absences via Skyward

If you have questions about any of the policies outlined above, please contact Mr. Kallina at Kallinke@myscps.us or shs_attendance@scps.k12.fl.us 

What is Credit Denial

Credit Denial vs Student in Good Standing

 

Credit Denial

Student in Good Standing (Truant)
  • 10 Absences in any class during a semester. 
  • Loss of Credit for the class in which the student was unexcused absent 10 days for. 
  • Must make up the time via recovery options below. 
  • A student in Credit Denial is considered not in good standing as well. 
  • The list is run at the end of each semester. 
  • Any notes must be turned in within one week of the date of the return to school. No note will be accepted for any reason after the semester ends. 
  • In the state of Florida, a student who has 5 full-day unexcused absences within a 30-day period or 10 full-day unexcused absences within a 90-day period is considered truant.
  • Truancy is based on full-day absences, not period-by-period attendance.
  • Any student who is considered truant by the State of Florida will no longer be in good standing at Seminole High School.
  • If a student completes absence recovery during that month, they may submit documentation for review. Upon approval, they may be returned to good standing and removed from the truancy list.
  • Any student in credit denial from a previous semester will not be in good standing as well. 


Both Good Standing and Credit Denial roll over year to year so if the previous year you were not in good standing or credit denial it will continue on to the next school year. 

Credit Denial Recovery Options 

Credit Denial Submission Form (Upon Completion)

 

Credit Denial, Truancy, and Student in Good Standing Recovery Options

1. Positive Attendance (The Power of Showing Up)

  • Step 1 (15-Day Milestone): If your student attends 15 consecutive school days (with no unexcused absences) and is passing all of their classes, they will immediately be returned to Good Standing.
  • Step 2 (30-Day Milestone): If your student maintains perfect attendance for 30 consecutive school days and is passing all of their classes, they will be returned to Good Standing AND have all Credit Denials removed from their record.

2. Testing Success (For 11th & 12th Graders)

We want to celebrate academic breakthroughs. During the current semester a student automatically be placed in Good Standing and have all Credit Denials removed if they achieve either of the following:

  • Earn a passing score on any state assessment required for graduation (e.g., FAST ELA, Algebra 1 EOC, etc.).
  • Earn a College and Career Acceleration (CCA) point (such as passing an AP/IB exam, dual enrollment course, or earning an industry certification).

3. Edmentum Course Completion

If your student has been assigned Edmentum courses for credit recovery:

  • Once they successfully complete all assigned Edmentum courses and are fully back on track for graduation, they will automatically return to Good Standing and have all Credit Denials removed.

Important Rules to Remember

  • Staying on Track: Maintaining good standing requires consistency. If a student successfully recovers their status but later accumulates 5 or 10 unexcused absences (depending on the tier), they will immediately go back into Credit Denial / Not in Good Standing. They will then have to repeat one of the recovery pathways above.
  • Semester Deadlines: Any student who does not complete their recovery requirements by the final day of the current semester must carry over their recovery plan into the following semester.